Many vehicle control systems monitor operating parameters of a vehicle and then take or suggest corrective action if the vehicle's performance varies from a desired performance. For example, vehicle dynamic control systems, such as roll stability control systems, yaw stability control systems, vehicle rollover control systems, electronic stability control (“ESC”) systems, and collision mitigation systems, monitor operating parameters of a vehicle to determine the stability and safety of a vehicle and take corrective actions as necessary. If, however, a parameter used by a vehicle dynamic control system changes, but the control system continues to use the out-of-date parameter, the control system may take or suggest inappropriate corrective actions.
For example, the position of the vehicle's center of gravity (“CoG”) is used in many vehicle dynamic control systems, such as ESC systems. Many control systems use a constant value for the CoG. The real position of a vehicle's CoG, however, varies depending on the weight, size, and position of cargo located in the vehicle, including the driver, other occupants, and other objects or freight in the vehicle. For example, for vehicles with a high CoG (e.g., sport utility vehicles or other tall vehicles) or with a relatively soft suspension, the weight, size, and location of cargo in a vehicle may substantially impact the vehicle's CoG, which can impact proper vehicle control. For example, the characteristic velocity of a vehicle, which represents the vehicle's steady state dynamics, can vary depending on the precise location of the vehicle's CoG. When the vehicle's CoG is not on the longitudinal geometrical center line of the vehicle, vehicle dynamic control systems should respond differently for left turns than for right turns to ensure vehicle stability. However, dynamically evaluating differences in the characteristic velocity for left and right turns based on changes to the CoG can involve complex logic that may assume very specific driving conditions.